Plastic handbag closure



J. SAMUELSON PLASTIC HANDBAG CLOSURE.

Feb. 25, 1947.

Filed Sept. 16, 1944 IN VEN TOR.

v w E L N M R m m s M T E N M @M Y B Patented Feb.. 25, 1947 UNITEDFSTATES PATENT OFFlCE PLASTIC HANDBAG CLOSURE Janet Samuelson, Lehighton, Pa. Application September 16, 1944, Serial No. 554,493

2 Claims, (of. 150-28) I v This invention relates to plastic handbags and has particular reference to closures therefor.

Handbags having walls of plastic decorative elements have been generally provided with slide fasteners, since the attempt to provide fasteners for such a bag when formed with a, flap to cover the mouth of the bag have resulted in a rather freakish construction and appearance. Hence the manufacture of such bags, which are of the so-called envelope type, has been discontinued to the best of my knowledge.

One object of the invention is to provide a plastic handbag of the character described having improved means for mounting a fastener, such as a snap or button type fastener, for closing the flap, without departing from the usual construction of the bag and destroying the uniformity of appearance of the bag in the open and closed positions thereof.

. Where a large portion of the front wall of the plastic handbag was constructed of cloth and the like, it was possible to attach snap fasteners to the cloth, and while the cloth was concealed by the closed flap, it was visible when the bag was *opened, and resulted in an irregular, nonuniform appearance as hereinbefore mentioned.

Also the construction involved added unduly to the cost of manufacture in finishing the edges of the cloth portion to the plastic side and end walls. It was not known nor considered possible heretofore, to m knowledge, to directly connect a snap fastener or the like to a plastic decorative element, the latter being necessarily thin, light in weight, and brittle.

Accordingly it is an object of the invention to provide a handbag wherein a fastener is directly connected to a plastic decorative element in an improved manner.

Another object of the invention is to utilize the attaching tapes for the decorative plastic elements to assume at least a portion of the stress I that may be exerted on the fastener.

Another object of the invention is to provide .improved means whereby the stresses to which the fastener is subjected are assumed at least in part by adjacent plastic elements, without any,

important diminution in the flexibility of the handbag walls.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention comprises the novel features, combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in their preferred embodiments, pointed out in the subjoined claims, and illustrated in the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

213 5 1 re istered in 5 e r 2 tion showing a handbag embodying the invention with the flap in open position.

Fig. 2 is an end view thereof.

Fig. 3 is an end view thereof, but with the flap closed.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a wall of the handbag.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary rear view of an assembly of the tapes, the plastic element and the fastener, with parts of the tapes removed, and illustrating a step in the manufacture of the handbag.

"Fig. '7 is a fragmentary rear view of a modified mounting for a fastener.

Fig. 8 is a sectional view of a securing element for the mounting of Fig. 7.

The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized when all of its features and instrumentalities are combined, but, useful embodiments may be produced involving less than the whole.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, that the same may be incorporated in several different constructions. The accompanying drawin therefore, is submitted merely as showing a, preferred exemplification of the invention. 1 1

Referring in detail to the drawing, l0 denotes a handbag embodying the invention. The same .includes a front and rear; end and bottom walls of decorative plastic elements II. Each of these elements is provided with a square outer wall section l2 and a marginal flange i3 whereby the element is of box-like form. In the flanges l3 are formed openings H to receive the vertical and horizontal lacing l5, these lacings crossing at the center of each element, whereby the latter is mounted with all the elements in snug contact with each other at their flanges l3 as indicated. As thus constructed, the handbag l0 provides a pocket portion having a, mouth i6 and a flap l1 adapted to fold over and close the mouth.

On the under side of the flap are provided one or more headed snap fastener elements l8 secured in any suitable manner to a reenforced lining portion l9 connected to the end portions of the adjacent tapes I5, but this mounting for the elements [8 is immaterial, as the underside of any flap is always covered by a lining which assumes .the stresses exerted on a fastener element such as i8.

On the pocket portion of the. handbag are mounted the companion female elements 20 for the fastener elements l8. These are directly connected to their elements H prior to the application' of the lacing l5. Holes are punched or otherwise formed in the front wall l2 of the decorative element, and the fastener element 20 applied with abackingof cushioning material such as a thick textile 2|, the fastener element having a flange that is flattened down on the outer face of the. wall I2. The thickness of the textile 2! is: such that the fastener element is securely held without wobbling, at the same time that the wall I2 is supported against breakage by reason of its brittle character. The textile plastic elements ll, Ha on the lacing l5. The clip 24 may have a washer-like portion and two ormore prongs 2B. Theshank, of element 20 is passed through the hole in the portion 25, and secured by clamping the element 20 to its element I la. After the lacing is completed, the strip 23 is applied so that the prongs puncture through member 2| is wholly concealed withinthe'element.

I I and the latter affords sufficient depth to receive the main part of the fastener element 20' and also the crossing lacing I 5." When. the fastener element is thus applied, the resultant element is finished and may be denoted as lla for differentiation.

The operator laces the: decorative elements H in the usual manner, except at the appropriate points, he introduces the elements Ha. While the elements Ila can be molded of heavier construction than those at II, this is undesirable,

because special dies would have tobe constructed and misalignment may result. The sameis also true if th fastener elements Zllwere mounted in the dies to be secured to elements Ha by molding the latter around the fastener elements. Moreover, special handling would be necessary, as in shipment and the like, since the plastic elements are made in a molding plant and then shipped to the handbag manufacturer. To aid the operor diagram may be provided on the Working table.

It is'noted that the plastic elements Ila. are held by the tapes l5, which thus assume the stresses caused by the fasteners I8, 20 as in opening the same.

i i and i la so as to be quite inconspicuous. When the handbag is opened by lifting the flap 19, the body of the bag appears wholly uniform right up to the mouth It thereof. The strains on the fastener elements 20 will not cause dislocation of their elements Ila, but the use of a stronger or heavier lacing 15 may be'desirable, as it is notorious that a Woman opens her handbag a great many times a day and expects long life from a plastic handbag. Some wear will be caused on th lacing due to rubbing contact with the elements Ila when an opening stress is exerted on I the fastener.

It is desirable to suitably distribute the stress caused by the fastener elements 20, so that Wear upon immediately adjacent portions of the lacing shall be. reduced, especially as it is not feasible to use heavier lacing because the walls of the bag ought to be as thin as possible; Hence a plate 22 of a stiff but somewhat flexible material is suitably secured to element i la and desirably also to a group of adjacent elements ll. Thus the plate may consist of a sheet of plastic autogenously secured to said elements I l, Ila at the rear edges of their flanges l3. This can be done after the lacing. l5 has been applied, by applying a solvent to, a face of the plate 22 and pressing the latter against the plasticelements ll, lid. The plates do not interfere with the lacing, and are covered bythe'usual handbag lining (not shown). These plates 22 should be of such size as to distributethe stresses at the fastener 20, but not so large as to unduly diminish the flexibility of the handbag.

In.Figs. 7 and 8 is shown a modified means for distributing the stresses causedby a fastenerelement 20.

In this device a stiffened strip 23 of any suitable material may be. secured, directly to the. fastener element'JIOJby a clip 24,.without. in-

terfering with the operation of stringing the The fastener elements 2!] may have the same color as the decorative elements after in placing the elements Ila, a suitable chart the same, and are then bent over as shown in Fig. 7 to interconnect the elements 20 and 23. Any pull on the element 29 causes the resultant stress. to be. distributed over a great many elements H by the firm but flexible backing strip 23', which engages a, series of rows and columns of the plastic elements,

The flap l9 may be considered a part of the closuremeans or independent thereof. Other fasteners that might be used may consist of a button or headed member and a loop, in which case the member 20 might become an anchorage for the -button or for the loop. Certain handbags employ only parallel lacin instead of cross lacing, but all the plastic elements of all such bags may be considered as interlaced. In connecting a plastic sheet 22 to the elements H by a solvent,

autogenous connecting means may consist. of

temporarily establishing the parts immediately contact their fusion point. Where plastic elements II are thus connected to the sheet 22, the lacing is unimportant, except as it, serves to connect that region uniformly with the rest of the wall in which greater flexibility occurs.

I claim:

1. A handbag having a Wall portion comprising a field of interlaced, decorative plastic elements, said wall portion having a closure portion, fastener means for the closure portion comprising a fastener member, the latter and one of the plastic decorative elements having means directly interconnecting the same so that the fastener member is mounted on the plastic element at the front face thereof, and reenfo-rcin somewhat flexible means connected to said plastic element at the rear thereof and. connected to; a surround.- ing group of plastic elements to thus distribute the stresses transmitted by: the fastener member.

2. Ajhandbag havinga wall portion includinga field of plastic elements lying edge to edge, said Wall portion having a closure portion, asheet of plastic at the rear of a selected group of saidele- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record. in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,294,089 Lobel Aug. 25, 1942 2,256,645 Kuhlman Sept. 23, 1941 r 1,949,936 Haynsworth et a1. Mar. 6, 1934 23,025,553 Wunthal Jan. 7; 1936 479,975 Denis Aug. 2, I892 FOREIGN PATENTS I Number Country qDate 666,055 French :May..14, 1929 707,534 French Apr. 14,1931 

